Community Cookbook: Being thankful on Thanksgiving Day

Mounds of food on the dinner table, Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys football on the television, boisterous children running about, grandpa asleep in his easy chair. These are some of the images many of us associate with Thanksgiving celebrations.

The holiday’s name gives us a clue that it’s also a time to reflect upon our circumstances and take inventory of the positive things we have in our lives. Do take a little extra time to appreciate your blessings this Thanksgiving, no matter how small they seem.

America is a religious nation. It says so on our currency: “In God We Trust.” Finding the right words to say thanks can be difficult sometimes. This simple prayer of mine might help.

A prayer of thanks

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the blessings You’ve given

us (me) in the past and for those blessings

You may yet impart today and in the future.

You’re the true God, the Creator. Heaven

and all the universe is Your domain.

May Your will be done. Amen.

On a more secular level, today’s turkey recipe has produced some of the best roast turkey I’ve ever eaten. The dark meat is delicious, as usual. When done well, the white meat is moist, tender, and flavorful – qualities not always found in home-roasted turkey. The key is simple but can be difficult to achieve: getting the white and dark meat to reach their very different ideal finished temperatures at the same time. Most everything else with roasting a turkey is just fluff.

The Cauliflower in “Cream” Sauce recipe was published two weeks ago. It’s running again because of a significant improvement. The preparation is simplified, resulting in 50 fewer words in the recipe’s directions. The sauce microwaves in just two minutes and is nearly foolproof.

Have a thoughtful and thankful Thanksgiving.

Bare-Bones Roast Turkey

This recipe contains everything you need to know about roasting a great turkey. Check your oven’s temperature with an oven thermometer. They can be off as much as 50 degrees. Ignore pop-up thermometers; they’re unreliable. Invest in a good instant-read thermometer and use it correctly. You’ll taste the results. Forget about basting the bird; it isn’t needed.

1 fully thawed, dressed turkey

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Cooking oil

1 cup chicken broth or water

Unwrap the turkey and remove the packet of giblets from the cavity, reserving them for cooking separately. Discard any liquid from inside the turkey. Pat dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Cut away and discard the excess fat in the neck and tail areas. Let the turkey rest at room temperature for 1 or 2 hours. Liberally salt and pepper the cavity. Brush the outside of the turkey with cooking oil. Liberally salt and pepper the outside. Fold the wings behind the back. Truss the legs, if preferred (trussing is needed only for appearance or if the turkey is stuffed). Place the turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan. Pour the broth or water into the pan. Roast, uncovered, in an oven preheated to 325 degrees for the time listed below. Rotate the pan 180 degrees halfway through the roasting for even cooking and browning (I like to drain any juices in the cavity into the pan at this time). Cover the breast area with aluminum foil when it starts to turn golden. When about two-thirds cooked, undo the legs, if trussed, so the thighs cook evenly. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone registers 165 degrees. To be safe, check both thighs. Check the thickest part of the breast, not touching the bone. It should register 155 degrees. Remove it from the oven and loosely cover with foil. Let the turkey rest for at least 30 minutes before slicing (the internal temperature will continue to rise 10-15 degrees during the resting phase, and the juices will redistribute through the meat).

Notes: The ideal finished temperature for white meat is 165-170 degrees and 175-180 degrees for dark meat. For turkeys under 12 pounds, allow ¾-1 pound per person. For turkeys over 12 pounds, allow ½-¾ pound per person. A pound per person will provide plenty of leftovers. Use the pan drippings and the cooked, chopped, or shredded giblets and neck to make gravy or add to dressing.

Approximate cooking times:

6-8 pounds: 3 to 3½ hours

8-12 pounds: 3 to 4½ hours

12-16 pounds: 4 to 5 hours

16-20 pounds: 4½ to 5½ hours

20-24 pounds: 5 to 6½ hours

Yields: One roasted turkey

Carrot Salad

This dish was created for a Thanksgiving dinner serving six. It was a challenge because I’m not a carrot salad fan. Judging by how fast the salad disappeared and the compliments that followed, the others enjoyed it considerably.

4 cups medium or coarsely shredded carrot

1-1½ cups, sliced ⅛-inch thick, celery

1 cup mayonnaise

¾-1 cup raisins

⅓-½ cup shredded coconut

⅓-½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)

2-3 teaspoons granulated sugar or sugar substitute (optional)

Juice of ½ lemon

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a half hour or more to allow the flavors to blend. Stir well before serving.

Yields: About eight side-dish servings

Cauliflower in ‘Cream’ Sauce

My Aunt Eunice was an excellent cook. One of her dishes was steamed cauliflower dressed with a delicious cream sauce. It was popular at family gatherings. Inspired by Aunt Eunice’s tasty side dish, this version hopefully does her justice.

4 cups cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces

½ cup evaporated milk

2½-3 teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon dried parsley

¼ plus ⅛ teaspoon ground coriander

⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon onion powder

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons butter or margarine

Place the cauliflower in a 1½-quart microwavable container. Cover with a lid, leaving one corner open to allow venting. Microwave on high power to the desired doneness, about 3 minutes, stirring every minute or so (the cauliflower will continue to cook a little as it sits after microwaving). Drain well. Combine the next nine ingredients (through black pepper) in a 3- or 4-cup glass measuring cup or bowl; make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Drop the butter or margarine in and microwave on high power for 2 minutes, gently stirring at 30 and 60 seconds of cooking (the sauce needs to boil for 1 minute). When done, let sit for a couple of minutes without stirring. Reheat the cauliflower, if needed, and combine with the sauce.

Notes: Be careful when removing the lid because of the possible steam. This recipe was developed using a 1,000-watt microwave oven with a turntable. Cooking times will vary with ovens of different wattages.

Yields: Three or four side-dish servings

Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups

This delicious and visually appealing appetizer is pretty easy to make. As with many delicious appetizers, imaginativeness and simplicity count for a lot.

6 slices sandwich-sized slices honey ham (I like Oscar Meyer)

6 slices sandwich-sized slices Swiss, Cheddar, or American cheese

24 toothpicks

Boston, butter or bibb lettuce (optional)

Lay a slice of ham on a work surface. Place a slice of cheese on top, aligning the closest ends of the ham and cheese. Tightly roll up the 2 slices, keeping the seam side down. Cut the roll, diagonally, into 4 equal pieces (each 11/8 inch long). Insert a toothpick into each piece to hold them together and place on a serving platter lined with the optional lettuce, if used. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Notes: The roll-ups can top small cubes of thick-sliced rye bread.

Yields: 24 servings

Dick Sellers is a freelance writer. Contact him at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com